Railway-tie.



J. J. OTTERBEIN.

RAILWAY TIE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1911.

1 033 614 Patented July 23,1912.

Ema.- 1..-

H Q M i Suvamtoz Gum,

BIA FLANOURAPH (ID-,WASNINOTON JOSEPH J. OTTERBEIN, OF ALTOONA,PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAYTIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 23, 1911.

Patented July 23," 1912.

Serial No. 650,908.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Josnrrr J. Orrrnnm-zm, acitizen of the United States, residing at Altoona, in the county ofBlair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Railway-Ties, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in railway ties andmore particularly to metallic ties, and my object is to provide a deviceof this character which is simple, durable and inexpensive inconstruction, and one which is adapted to receive wooden blocks for thesupport of the rails and for receiving the rail-securing means.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a tie which ischannel-shaped in cross section, the channel portion of which is facedupwardly to receive therein the wooden blocks above referred to, andstill another object of the invention resides in flaring the ends of thetie outwardly and designing the blocks similarly thereto, therebyforming substantial wedge members of the blocks.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing the base ofthe tie with a raised portion therein, whereby the tie may be readilygripped into engagement with the earth, and a further object resides inproviding enlarged openings in said base, over which the blocks areadapted to be mounted.

A still further object resides in providing tion as seen on line 33,Fig. 1, and, Fig. i

at is a transverse section as seen on line 4-4, Fig. 1.

In carrying out my invention, I shall refer to the drawing in whichsimilar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views and in which 1 indicates my improved tie whichcomprises a sheet of metal, the side edges of which are bent upwardly toform the side rails 2 of a channel-shaped member, said channel-shapeddevice being flared toward its ends. The channel of the tie facesupwardly and the base thereof'is,-for a greater portion of its length,raised upwardly, as shown at 3, to form a channel-way or the like on theunder face of said base, whereby the earth may enter said channel-wayand retain the device in the proper posi tion when once tamped, and saidbase is also provided beyond the endsof the struck-up portion 3, withenlarged openings 4, said openings being tapered outwardly toward theirouter ends coincident with the tapering of the side edges of the base ofsaid tie, the purpose of which will be hereinafter and more particularlydescribed. The ends of said channel-shaped tie are open, and enteredwithin these ends, so as to be wedged tightly between the side rails 2,are the wedge blocks 5, said blocks having the side edges thereoftapered outwardly from their inner to their outer ends and being of aheight substantially equal to the height of the side rails 2, wherebythe upper faces of the same will be flush with the upper edges of saidrails. When properly and tightly wedged between said side rails,theinner ends of said blocks 5 will reach to points immediately adjacentthe ends of the struck-up portion 3 in the base of said tie and will atthe same time completely cover the enlarged openings 4 in said base, andriveted to the side rails 2 of the tie and extending transversely acrossthe upper'edges lateral movement. The inner'opposed edges of the pairsof strips 6 are provided with openings 8, through which may be enteredspikes or. the like 9, said spikes being ening held snugly therein andprevented from tered in the blocksfi, and the heads thereof engaged withthe base flanges of the rail to prevent longitudinal movement thereof onthe tie, and in order to prevent the rails from having engagement withany portion of the metal of the tie, the side rails 2 thereof are cutaway, as shown at 10, between the strips 6, and thus, it will be seenthat a slight resiliency may be obtained as a car passes over the rail,whereas little or no resiliency would be obtained should the rail restflatly upon the rigid metallic side rails 2 of the tie. As stated, thechannel of the tie faces upwardly, and it will be appreciated that snow,rain and the like will be collected in the space between the two blocks,and in order to provide a draining means therefor, the base of said tieis provided with a plurality of openings 11, which openings are disposedin the spaces between the ends of the raised portion 3 and the open ingst in said base.

. In practice, it will be seen that after the strips 6 have been appliedto the side rails of the tie, the blocks 5 are wedged in position, itbeing understood that the heads of the rive-ts or the like, which areused for the securing of the strips in position, are countersunk on theinner faces of the side rails, whereupon said tie is placed in positionon the ground and tamped in the usual manner. It will be appreciatedthat in. view of the channel formed by the striking up of the portion 3in the base of said tie, the earth may readily grip the same to preventany appreciable movement thereof when once tamped, and thus eliminateany extra means being provided for the retaining of the tie in position,and it will further be seen that the openings 4 in the base of said railwill allow the under faces of the blocks 5 to rest flatly upon theearth, which will not alone aid in the retention of the tie inposit-ion, due to the great friction between the wood and the earth, butwill also allow said blocks to yield slightly as a weight passes overthe rails, as will be hereinafter mentioned. WVhen the tie has beenpositioned, the rails are disposed between the strips 6 to rest flatlyupon the blocks 5, whereupon spikes are entered in the openings 8 tosecure said rails against longitudinal movement on the tie, and whenthus positioned, it'will be seen that no portions of the rails willcontact with parts of the metal of the tie and that the same will restcompletely upon the supporting blocks 5, thereby permitting said blocksto lend any resiliency or yielding action that the same may be capableof, upon the movement of a car over said rails. The entering of thespikes through the openings 8 and through the blocks 5 to retain therails against longitudinal movement, will, of course, prevent themovement of the blocks in the tie, since the strips 6,

against which said spikes rest, are rigidly mounted on the side rails ofthe tie, but it will be appreciated that should at any time the blocksbecome worn, or otherwise daniaged, the same may be very readily removedby removing the spikes therefrom and may be replaced by a new blockwithout the necessity of removing the strips 6.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided an improvedmetallic tie wherein wooden blocks are provided for an immediate meansof support for the rails, and it will still further be seen that saidblocks are positioned so as to have the portions thereof opposed to theportions receiving the rails, in direct cont-act with the ground,whereby any slight resiliency of which said blocks are capable, may beobtained, as a weight passes over the rails. It will further be seenthat my improved tie, although channel-shaped in cross section, isdesigned so as to flare outwardly toward its ends so that the portionsof the adjacent ties over which the rails extend, will be nearer oneanother than the central port-ions of said ties, the purposes of whichare obvious. Furthermore, it will be seen that the blocks which entersaid ties have their side edges tapered coincident with,the tapering ofthe side edges of said ties, whereby the same may be wedged intoposition. It will further be seen that by raising a portion of the baseand also forming openings therein so that the under faces of the blocksmay contact with the ground, the ties may be readily retained inposition. Furthermore, it will be seen that my device is extremelysimple and durable in construct-ion, inexpensive to manufacture, and onewhich is very eflective and useful in operation.

What I claim is 2- 1. A rail tie designed channel-shape in crosssection, the base of which is provided with a pair of enlarged openingsarranged adjacent the respective ends, said base being also providedwith a struck up portion extending longitudinally of the tie betweensaid openings, wedge blocks mounted in said tie immediately over theopenings therein, the side walls of said tie being provided withcut-away portions at the points wherein said blocks are disposed,bracing strips secured to the side walls of the tie on opposite sides ofthe cut-away portions thereof, and means to secure rails to said blocksbetween said bracing strips.

2. A rail tie designed channel-shape in cross section, and taperinginwardly from the ends to the center thereof, the base of which isprovided with a pair of enlarged openings arranged adjacent therespective ends thereof, said base being also provided with a struck upportion disposed longitudinally of the base and between said openings,wedge blocks seated in the base of said tie immediately over theopenings therein, to secure rails to said blocks between said 10 theside walls of said tie being provided bracing strips.

with alining cut-away portions in the same In testimony whereof Ihereunto aflix my vertical planes with the openings in the signature inthe presence of two witnesses.

base, a plurality of bracing strips secured to the side walls of the tieand extending JOSEPH OTTERBEIN' transversely thereof, said strips beingar- Witnesses:

ranged contiguous with the edges of the cut- CHARLES M. KURTZ,

away portions in the side walls, and means J. AUsTIN SULLIVAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). 0.

